COMMENT: Recognise rights, improve welfare for disabled persons

I AM delighted to note that Malaysia has decided to honour and award the medal winners of the recent Paralympic Games of Paris 2024 and those of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games the same status, incentives and benefits.

I warmly congratulate the government for that.

The whole world today is fighting for rights, of everything under the sun. The disabled persons also want to have their rights recognised and to be able to enjoy their rights. We must look at and review current policy and law on how we can do something to protect and promote the rights and welfare of disabled persons in our country.

Today, I am making a strong appeal to the government, and to reiterate what I have proposed in 2013 on the following: To seriously consider amending Article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution (on Equality and Equality before the law), to expressly prohibit discrimination based on disability of a person.

The government has signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (CRPD). It is crucial and appropriate for the Malaysian government to consider signing the Optional Protocol to CRPD. This is important to provide provisions of rights of disabled in Malaysia, as stated in the CRPD.

I now refer to the Persons With Disabilities Act 2009, which outlines various rights and welfare of the disabled persons in Malaysia, relating to access to public buildings and public facilities, public transport, education, employment, social services for disabled, leisure and recreation, etc.

It is time for the government and parliament to consider amending this Act to provide express provisions to enable disabled persons to enforce their rights as spelt out in the CRPD and in the Persons With Disabilities Act 2008.

In addition, I propose that the said Act be amended to provide for the setting up of a National Disability Rights Tribunal with powers to investigate complaints on alleged breach or violation into rights of disabled persons, as mentioned by many disabled and observers, and to recommend or impose penalties or appropriate remedies or practicable solutions for non-compliance on rights of disabled persons, which appear to becoming rather rampant and happening almost every day as alleged.

Related to that is lack of access for disabled persons to public buildings and public facilities, including government buildings and offices. This is one area where the government and local authorities can, and could, take the lead.

It is noted that most of the old government buildings have not been modified or renovated to provide public access, and use of other accessible facilities such as lifts, public toilets, accessible ramps, etc to disabled persons especially to those on wheelchairs.

I therefore call on local authorities throughout the country to consider implementing, in order to enforce more strictly the relevant Buildings By-Laws which require access facilities to be provided to, and for the use of, disabled persons.

These are important to enable disabled persons to make use of and enter such public buildings safely and with ease and convenience, like other normal peoples with no physical disabilities, for employment and other purposes.

There is also an apparent lack of access for disabled persons to public buses and other modes of public transport, especially those on wheelchairs, for them to go to clinics, hospitals and places of work. I therefore suggest local authorities consider providing subsidised accessible van transport services for disabled persons.

I understand the City Council of Kuching South (MBKS) would want to consider and take up my proposal to provide accessible van transport services for disabled persons in the City of Kuching (as a pilot project), and to charge reasonable fares. The council must be congratulated for being thoughtful and caring .

Many times I have pointed out that disabled people aren’t necessarily being deformed at birth, without a hand or armless.

The victim of an accident on the road or factory may end up in the wheelchair for life, or any senior member of the family has become frail and needs assistance. These are all disabled.

We must all do our part to make life more bearable for these unfortunate people so they can take their rightful life in our rather challenging society.

As an apolitical charity and voluntary worker throughout my life, my hope and prayers are to see that the disabled, the sick, the poor, the discriminated, the marginalised, and the oppressed, are helped.

I thank the Fourth Estate for their sterling work in getting our voice heard by all, especially those who are lawmakers, who can be assigned to speak for the disabled and be the tool in enacting the necessary legislation for the benefit of the huge population of people defined as disabled.

* Datuk Seri Ang Lai Soon is President of Sarawak Cheshire Home and Founder of St. John Ambulance Sarawak